Abdomial supporter



n. 11 1927. E. T. MANIX ABDOMINAL SUPPORTER Filed June 24,

' Im'enior: I EdwardlYManzJx. Z5 My,

Patented Jan. 11, 1927.

UNITED STATES EDWARD '1. MANDQOF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS,

ABDOMINAL surroa rnn.

Application filed June 24, 1924. $eria1 No.

This invention aims to 'improve-abdominal supports and in the accompanying drawings wherein is shown, merely for lll ustrative purposes, one embodiment of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an abdominal support, and Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken longitudinally of the support.

In said drawings I have illustrated a pad 1 of well known form which may be of any appropriate shape or design to fit the particular portion of the person and the purpose to which it is to be applied. Preferablysaid pad is made long and narrow and so shaped top .and bottom as to permit it to extend substantially across the abdomen and lie beneath and in supporting relation to the intestines, it being padded with a resilient material 2 and reinforced by a plate 3. Furthermore the outer face of the pad is herein additionally reinforced or stiffened by a plate 4 extending longitudinally of the pad and of the plate 3 to which it 'is secured by screws 5, 5, said reinforcing plate and the plate 8 forming a substantially rigid frame for said pad. 7

Obviously there are many uses for a support such as that embodying this invention and, therefore, the pad may, within the scope and purpose of the invention, involve numerous shapes and designs but whatever its shape may be it is often desirable to apply a greater pressure tocertain parts of the abdomen or at one point thereof than to another and means have herein been provided for accomplishing this result, said means preferably including supporting means con sisting of .arms 6 and 7 respectively connected at 8 and 9 to the pad 1 and extending herein longitudinally of said pad and arranged to be independently moved as desired toward or from the face of said pad as hereinafter more fully explained. The outer or free ends of the arms 6 and 7 may be and herein are provided with appropriate means for supporting the pad about the person, such for example as resilient hip pieces 10 and 11 which are appropriately curved substantially to conform to the shape of the hips of the wearer and reinforced by res1l1- ent metallic springs 12. The free ends of said hip pieces are adapted, 111 turn, to be connected together herein by a strap 13 cetachably'and adjustably secured to studs 14,

14 attached respectively to said hip pieces 10 and 11.

To facilitate the varying of the pressure of said pad 1 upon different parts of the abdomen, the arms 6 and 7 are hingedly connected at said points 8 and 9 to the pad and arearranged tobe moved toward and from the face of the plate 4 of said pad to different angular positions herein by adjusting studs 15, one of which is interposed between each arm and the adjacent end portion of the pad, The studs 15 are provided with screw threaded stems 16 having screwthreaded engagement with the plate 4 and have knurled heads 17 herein arranged between their respective arms and the plate 4 but projecting laterally far enough beyond said arms, as shown most clearly in Fig. 1 for engagement by the fingers of the operator.

The outer ends of the studs 15 may be and herein are annularly grooved at 18 to form shoulders 19 and 19.for engaging opposite faces of the arms 6 and 7 within slots 20 formed in said arms. The outer shoulders 19 of said studs engage the outer faces of said arms when the studs are screwed into the pad 1 and the inner flanges 19 engage the inner faces of said arms during the reverse movement of-the studs, thus insuring positive movements of said arms with their studs. Enlargements 21 ofthe slots 20 provlde for the insertion or removal of the grooved ends of the studs 15 relatively to their respective arms when desired .as hereinafter explained.

It is also desirable at times to adjust the hlp pieces 10 and 11 toward and away from each other and for this purpose the ends of the arms 6 and 7 are detachably mounted at 8 and 9 upon said pad. Any appropriate attaching means may be provided but preferably the hinged construction, previously mentioned, as Well as an adjustable connection, is provided to allow for the variable angular movements of said arms, and in the present instance this hinged construction includes curved tongues 22 at the ends of said arms which are slightly narrower than their arms and project intoslots 23 herein formed in a slightly raised part 24 of the plate 4. For convenience a series of these slots is provided along said plate, herein lengthwise o the pad so that said tongues may,

by swinging said arms outwardly nearly at right angles to said plate, be disconnected from the slot and entered in other slots more appropriately located for the adjustment desired.

In the present instance I have shown but two of said slots for each arm but it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the number shown. To provide for the adjustment of said arms the slots 20 are extended longitudinally thereof a distance sullicient to take care of whatever movement of said arms is required. The arms 6 and 7, as well as the framing of the. pad, are of substantially rigid and relatively non flexible construction so that, by adjusting the studs 15 to different positions after fitting the hip members 10 and 11 in place and fastening them together by means of the strap 13, greater pressure will be applied to the end or portion of the pad that is farthest removed from its supporting arm. F or example, in Fig. 2 the arm 6 is shown at a greater distance from the end of the plate 4: adjacent to it than is the arm 7 from its end of the pad. Consequently the pressure applied at A of the pad will be greater than that applied at B.

The relatively non-fiexible or substantially rigid supporting members, herein the arms 6 and 7, together with the adjusting means aforesaid, are of great advantage in positioning the entire pad a sufficient distance within the normal belt line and in getting under and supporting certain organs of the body for example the intestines in a manner not hitherto possible and it is to be understood that, within the scope and purpose of the invention, the rigidity of said arms may be produced by forming the same of material capable of producing the desired result or, if desired, by tempering 'or hardening the material so used so as to prevent bending or undesirable springing of said members, yet permitting them to be constructed of relatively light materials. It is further to be understood that the manner of maintaining the pad and its supporting means in position upon the person of the wearer may be materially changed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

To facilitate the getting in and under the intestines for the purpose of providing a better support therefor, the arms 6 and 7 are depressed preferably in the region of the slots 20. This allows the hip pieces 10 and 11 to rest upon the hips of the wearer in sufficiently elevated positions to prevent interference with walking but the pad itself will be held low enough to get in under the intestines and exert a lifting action thereon rather than merely pressing against them.

l/Vhile I have herein shown and described merely for illustrative purposes one specific embodiment of my invention and have dis- .be positively applied closed and discussed in detail the construction and arrangement incidental to such disclosure, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is limited neither to the mere details or relative arrangement of the parts nor to the specific application herein shown but that extensive variations from the illustrations may be made without departing from the principles thereof.

Claims:

1. An abdominal support comprising a pad, supporting means for said pad arranged to encircle. the body of the wearer. means adjustably to secure the ends of said supporting means together to lit the body and means for effecting positive independent adjust aient of opposite ends of said pad toward and away from adjacent portions of said body encircling means.

2. An abdominal support comprising a pad, substantially rigid supporting members detach-ably pivoted upon said pad, and means for independently and positively adjusting the angular relation of said sup-- porting members to said pad whereby pressure at opposite ends of said pad may be varied.

3. An abdominal support comprising a pad, supporting members each detachably pivot-ed upon said pad, adjusting means interposed between each of said detachable supporting members and an adjacent portion of said pad .to effect positive independent angular adjustment of said members relatively to said pad and a strap connected with said supporting members for encircling the person of the wearer.

4;. An abdominal support comprising, in combination, a pad of substantially uniform thickness throughout, a plate on said pad provided with a series of holes spaced lengthwise of said pad, supporting means encircling the body of the wearer and ineluding relatively rigid members detachably and hingedly engaging predetermined of said holes and adjusting means interposed between each relatively rigid member and said plate whereby different pressures may through different parts of said pad to said person.

5. An abdominal support comprising, in combination, an elongated narrow pad, substantially rigid supporting means hingedly connected with said pad and screw adjusting means interposed respectively between said supporting means and terminal portions of said pad to positively vary the pressure of said portions upon the person of the wearer thereof.

6. In combination, an elongatedabdominal pad having substantially uniform thickness throughout, laterally adjustable relatively rigid supporting members for said pad having pivotal connection therewith and screw means for varying the angular positions of said supporting members relatively to said pad for the purpose of providing different nection therewith, resilient hip members connected with said supporting members, a strap for adjustably connecting the rear ends of said hip members together to form a body encircling band and means for inde pendently and positively swinging said pad supporting members toward and away from said pad to effect greater or less pressure upon selected parts of the abdomen by said pad.

8. An abdominal support comprising, in combination, a relatively long narrow pad arranged to be placed under and to support the intestines, relatively rigid supporting members hingedly connected substantially centrally and extending lengthwise of said pad in opposite directions, means extending.

from said supporting members about the body of the wearer and screw adjusting means interposed between each end of said pad and the adjacent supporting members positively to vary the pressure of the pad ends against the body.

9. An abdominal support comprising in combination a relatively long narrow pad to be placed beneath and in supporting relation to the intestines, a metal reinforcing back for said pad, relatively rigid pad supporting :4.

members detachably hinged to said metal reinforcing back for adjustment longitudinally of said back, screw means interposed between each of said supporting members and an end of said pad, adjusting means for said screws located between 7 said supporting means and said body and straps for connecting the ends of said supporting means and encircling the body of the wearer of said abdominal support. j

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

EDWARD T. MANIX. 

